Ty Magner joins team

5 months agoby Tom Soladay

Rally Cycling is proud to announce the signing of Ty Magner, one of North America’s top sprinters. After spending the majority of his professional cycling career with Holowesko-Citadel, Magner joins Rally Cycling on a two year contract. He is a former champion of the USA Cycling Pro Road Tour and won the first stage at this year’s Tour of Utah, donning yellow in the process.

The addition of the 26 year old from Griffin, GA further strengthens the team’s sprint train and one-day race ambitions. Magner is a versatile sprinter, as comfortable leading a teammate safely through the closing meters of a race as he is chasing a win for himself.

Magner’s win at the Tour of Utah, one of the biggest and hardest races in North America, speaks to his versatility – with its relentless elevation gain and mountainous stage profiles, field sprinters know that they won’t get many opportunities to challenge for a stage win.

“Winning in Utah and having the yellow jersey was definitely a career highlight,” said Magner. “It gave me a ton of confidence moving forward. I showed that I can get over the high mountains and still have the legs to finish. I already can’t wait to mix it up in the sprints next season.”

The 2016 season was a breakout year for Magner. With more than ten victories, he won the USA Cycling Pro Road Tour by a comfortable margin. He carried this momentum into 2017, winning both the time trial and the criterium at March’s Tour of the Southern Highlands before eventually winning the Armed Forces Crystal Cup and the Winston-Salem criterium, both with solo attacks. It was this consistency that caught the attention of Performance Director Jonas Carney.

“I’ve had my eye on Magner for a number of years now,” said Carney. “But when he proved that he could sprint against the best in Utah, we really started the process of trying to hire him. Ty will fit in immediately with our sprinters. He has shown that he can get over the power climbs and when needed, he can take care of business in a breakaway.”

With the team planning the move to the Professional Continental level, signing Magner was an important addition. The higher caliber races require an ability to race aggressively across all types of terrain. When a race gets out of hand you can throw Magner into the mix – a valuable trait that not all sprinters have.

“Rally Cycling is super dialed and they showed a ton of confidence in me throughout the hiring process,” said Magner. “Each year the program has grown and had a ton of success. I’m looking forward to racing with the guys and getting my feet wet in Europe.”

Known for riding wheelies across the finish line and putting on a good show for the fans, Magner spoke about his mental approach to cycling.

“I’ve been riding bikes my whole life, mountain and road,” said Magner. “It’s a lifestyle that I love to live, I see it as more than just my job. I’ve been able to see the world and create some incredible lifelong relationships thanks to this sport.”

The team will continue to finalize its men’s and women’s rosters over the coming weeks, and is planning a 2018 race schedule which will include more international racing than ever before.